Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Seafood

Sour Soup with Prawns (Canh Chua Tom)

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To Prep
Wash your shrimp and butterfly them to remove the vein.

To Cook
Add the oil to a pot and heat up on medium high heat.
Add the garlic and stir fry until golden brown. Remove the garlic from the pot and set aside for later. Leave the oil in the pot.
Add the shrimp to the pot and stir fry until they turn pink.
Add water to the pot and increase the heat to high to bring the water to a boil.
Turn the heat down to medium low when the water begins to boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the top.
Season the soup with the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind powder, chicken bouillon and salt and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and taro stems to the soup and cook until they are done.
Portion the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with the fried garlic, Thai basil and chilli slices before serving.

Baked Siu Mai

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To Prep
Soak the shiitake mushrooms in boiling water for 15 minutes and then finely dice them.
In a large bowl, combine the pork, prawns, mushrooms and carrots with the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and salt and pepper.
If needed, trim the wrappers so that they fit neatly in to the muffin baking tray.
Lightly oil the tin with oil and place the cut wrappers in them.

To Bake
Preheat an oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Place the wrappers in to the oven and bake for 5 mins.
After 5 mins, remove the wrappers form the oven and add the meat filling. Place enough filling so that the it fills the wrapper.
Return the tray to the oven and continue to bake for another 10 mins or until the filling has cooked through.
Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
To serve, garnish with fish roe and thinly sliced spring onions.

Stir Fried Green Beans with Dried Shrimps and Pickled Radish

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To Cook
Heat a clean, dry wok on low, stir fry the pickled radish until dry and fragrant. Remove and set aside.
Heat oil in wok, saute garlic and dried shrimps until fragrant slightly crispy.
Increase the heat to medium high, toss in the beans, pickled radish and chilli, stir fry until beans are cooked. Season with salt and toss well.
Transfer to serving plate or bowl, serve.

XO Scallops with Garlic Shoots

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To Cook
Over high heat, heat up a deep pan or wok. Once it starts to smoke, add approximately 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the scallops and mix them around. Lightly brown the scallops before taking the scallops out. Leave the scallops to the side.
Add a little bit more oil to the wok at medium heat. Add the garlic shoots and scallions. Stir-fry briefly.
Add the cooking wine and the XO sauce. Mix to combine. Add the chicken broth and lower the heat so the mixture simmers.
Add the cooked scallops and soy sauce, ensuring that everything is combined well. Turn off the heat and serve the dish while hot.

Medan Spicy Stir Fried Noodles with Shrimp Paste and Water Spinach

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To Cook
In a wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Sauté garlic until aromatic. Throw in prawns and fish balls and fry until half-cooked. Push them aside and crack in eggs. Gently stir the egg mixture and leave it to cook slightly for about 30 secs. Then combine well with the prawns and fish balls. Dish out and set aside.
Put in red chilli paste and shrimp paste and sauté until aromatic about 2-3 mins. Add in water and tomatoes. Bring down to a simmer and cook for 1 min. Toss in water spinach, noodles, prawns, fish balls, sweet soy sauce and soy sauce. Stir to mix well. Put on the lid and allow to simmer over low heat for 2 mins. Do a taste test and add more soy sauce if needed according to your preference.
Finally, add in beansprouts and give a quick stir. Remove from heat if you like crunch beansprouts. If you like them softened, cook for another 1 min.
Transfer to serving plate and enjoy.

Steamed Eggs with Dried Scallops

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To Cook
Soak dried scallops in warm water until softened. Then, tear them into thin strips. In a wok or steamer, steam scallops over high heat for 15 mins.
Crack two large eggs into a bowl. Add 250ml water, sesame oil and salt. Whisk and pour into a steam-proof dish. Sprinkle ⅓ of the steamed scallops into the egg mixture.
In the wok or steamer, steam the egg mixture on high heat for 3 mins. Then, turn off the heat and let it sit for 20 mins. Do not remove the lid.
Carefully remove the steamed egg. Sprinkle the remaining steamed scallops on top and garnish with spring onions. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Pad Thai Stir Fried Noodles with Prawns

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To Cook
Place noodles in a bowl of boiling water for 6-8 mins. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat and stir-fry prawns and tofu until just cooked.
Add Valcom Pad Thai Paste and mix well. Stir in fish sauce, tamarind puree, sugar and chilli powder.
Rinse rice noodles then add to pan and stir through. Push the mixture to one side of pan, then add beaten egg and allow it to cook slightly before tossing it through the noodle mixture.
Throw in the beansprouts and chives, stir thoroughly for 1 min.
Dish out and garnish with peanuts and a quarter of a lime.

XO Sauce (Fujian) Fried Rice

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To Prepare and Cook
Place pork into a bowl and add in marinade ingredients. Mix well.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir fry pork until cooked and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry eggs. Toss in rice and fry until well combined. Dish out the fried rice on a serving plate.
Add 1 tbsp oil and stir fry pumpkin until its soften. Add in Chinese kale to stir fry for another 2 mins, then add the shiitake mushrooms, prawns, scallops, stir 1-2 mins. Add in the pork and sauce into the pan. Mix well until cooked.
Pour over fried rice and serve.

Japanese Pancake (Okonomiyaki)

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To Cook
Combine and mix all the batter ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then add cabbage, spring onions and squid into the mixture. Mix well.
Heat ½ tbsp oil over medium heat in a pan. Add 120ml of batter mix and reduce heat in pan to low and cook approximately for 5-7 mins or until the bottom is golden brown. Flip over and
thoroughly cook the other side until golden brown.
Mix the sauce ingredients while waiting.
Remove the pancake from heat. Garnish. Serve hot with the sauce on the side.

Steamed Wombok with Dried Scallops

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To Cook
In a large bowl, lightly mix the wombok strips with the garlic. Season with some salt to taste.
In a small bowl, mix the chicken stock with the water.
Scoop out the wombok mixture onto the plate you are using for steaming. Place the scallops on top. Pour the chicken stock and water mixture on top.
Steam at a medium-high heat for approximately 30 mins, or until the food is cooked to the desired consistency.
Serve while hot with rice.